Don’t let it surprise you that the Seattle event is at a seafood processor. American Gold is basically a “slaughterhouse at sea.” They hold 3,000,000 salmon in pens (with about 1 bathtub worth of space per fish) for couple years, before they’re scooped up and killed by their “Harvestor” ship. Factory farms extend far beyond traditional land animals. Fish suffer and oceans are polluted because of farmed fishing.

World Day for Farmed Animals will continue until animals are no longer seen as commodities, raised for their flesh and by-products.

Five points if you said my mullet! Ten if you said the lion cub in my lap.

As a teenager in the 80s, I thought nothing of this. I was in the mall with my brother, a makeshift studio was set up in a corner of an open area, and I got to pick which baby animal I wanted to pose with.

I never thought to question the obvious: Where is this cub’s mother? Why is he being carted around from mall to mall for photos instead of being in his natural environment? Is there a danger to humans? What will happen to him when he’s too big and unruly to be cuddly?

Sadly, animals like this are still being exploited in malls, fairs, and at roadside zoos, and yes, you too can pay for a photo op.

When these babies are too big, they end up at shoddy roadside zoos, in the pet trade, in canned hunts, or killed for their meat.

The best thing you can do is never pay for a picture with a wild animal. The Humane Society has a campaign against primates, tigers, lions, and bears being used in photo sessions. These sessions with the public fuel the exotic pet trade, puts animals at risk, and endangers the public.

Please sign it and learn from my mistake. Wild animals are not stuffed toys. Whether at home or abroad, vote with your dollars and say no to animal exploitation.

Great news for the anti-fur campaign: Starting this Saturday, it will be illegal to sell fur clothing, including shearling, in West Hollywood. I guess Uggs are out!

Fur is an inherently cruel industry, where wild animals are trapped and killed, and farmed animals are raised in cages, and then gassed or electrocuted. It’s not humane, and it’s not green (the chemicals used in the preservations process and the runoff from farms is very bad for the environment).

And as West Hollywood is proving, fur isn’t necessary either. Let’s keep working on this issue so other cities join the cause too.

By now, you’ve probably heard of the acclaimed documentary Blackfish, which investigates the terrible price paid by orcas at SeaWorld. If you haven’t been able to see it in theaters, here’s your chance!

On October 24th, CNN will be airing the television premiere of this important award-winning documentary.

Be sure to watch the film and learn about the horrors of captive marine animals and the cruel industry that confines them in the name of entertainment.

If you’d like to take it a step further, Peta is encouraging people to host a Blackfish viewing party–and they’ll provide the things you need to get started! Sign up to host your viewing party with friends and family today, and they’ll send you:

A “How to Host a Viewing Party” guide

A printable petition (to SeaWorld CEO Jim Atchison asking him to release the animals to sanctuaries)

An information sheet on orcas and other captive animals

Recipes for vegan party food

We also invite you to connect with other people who are hosting their own events through our Facebook Event page.

Help spread the word that orcas and other sea animals deserve their freedom!

We recently found out that Evergreen Health, a group of urgent- and primary care facilities on the Eastside, is offering discounted circus tickets to their staff as a “perk.”

It’s quite possible that Evergreen doesn’t know how cruel the circus is and how, for example, they beat and torture baby elephants into submission with bull hooks and electric prods in order to get them to perform.

Please contact Evergreen, and inform them politely that circuses with animal acts are cruel. Please ask them not to support the circus by buying or subsidizing tickets.

Letters to a New Vegan
Call for Submissions
Deadline: November 15, 2013
Send submissions to veganletters@gmail.com

At the turn of the nineteenth century, a 19-year-old military student wrote a letter to a famous author seeking advice on how to live. “Nobody can advise you, nobody,” Rainer Maria Rilke replied. “There is only one way. Go into yourself.” Having said that, however, Rilke would go on to offer ample advice to the young man, writing him no fewer than ten letters in which he shared his thoughts on thriving in a complex, insensitive world. These letters would become the small but widely-treasured volume Letters to a Young Poet (1929).

Rilke’s bipartite response to his young poet exemplifies the human paradox: We need to go deeply into ourselves and we need each other. Those of us living on the edge of a ground-breaking social movement especially need each other. We need each other’s encouragement and insights; we need to hear how others have made their way—detours, stumbles, and all. Combining the stories of others with our own experience and inner wisdom, we cultivate the sustenance for lives that matter to ourselves and to the wider world.

With that, you are invited to submit your own story to an edited collection called Letters to a New Vegan. The intention of this volume is just as its allusory title suggests: We are looking to create a community of words that can encircle new vegans everywhere, from all walks of life, as they embark on their own journeys. Letters should be no longer than 1000 words (short letters are as welcome as long ones), begin with the salutation “Dear New Vegan,” and end with your name (first or full, your choice) and place of residence. Between the salutation and closing we ask that you write in your own voice, with authenticity, honesty, and compassion.

A possible place to begin as you contemplate your letter: What would you have wanted to hear when you were a new vegan? What would have helped?

Submission guidelines:

Please email your letter (Word documents preferred) along with a short author bio to veganletters@gmail.com by November 15, 2013. Questions can be directed to this address as well.

A final, important note: We’re eager for letters from people of all ages, backgrounds, and perspectives. The vegan story is nothing if not multi-vocal.

You may have heard of Vegan Outreach, an organization dedicated to reducing the suffering of farmed animals. The people working with Vegan Outreach can often be found leafleting in campuses across the country, promoting informed eating.

Rachel Shippee from Vegan Outreach will be leafleting in the Seattle area in October and November, as part of Vegan Outreach’s Adopt a College program.

If you have time to join Rachel for leafleting or a meal, please contact Anne at anne@veganoutreach.org so she can send Rachel your contact info.

Rachel needs housing in or near the cities along her route. If you have a spare couch or bed for this polite young activist, please let Anne know that as well. You can be part
of the ‘Hotel Vegan Outreach’ chain!

On August 8th, a woman and her 13-year-old son who were at the Kelly Miller Circus in Point Place, Ohio, witnessed a circus handler beating an elephant (who was even carrying four children on her back at the time!) so severely with a bullhook that she screamed. This is a clear violation of Ohio law, which prohibits not only beating but using “electric or other prods, or similar devices” on animals who are “performing, or being used in any exhibition, show, [or] circus.” The Toledo Area Humane Society (TAHS) has the authority to pursue this case, but is refusing to do so, despite being provided with a sworn affidavit from the witnesses, the police report, photographs and the name of the handler.

Please contact the TAHS now and tell them to press charges and ensure that the abuser is held accountable. WAY TOO MANY abusers get away with their abuse as it is.

If you want to write a paper letter (always good), their address is 1920 Indian Wood Cir, Maumee, OH 43537 and their telephone number (419) 891-0705

You are no doubt familiar with the movie disclaimer, ‘No animals were harmed...’ by the American Humane Association. Now a former AHA employee, Barbara Casey, who worked on the set of the now-cancelled horse-racing drama, Luck, has filed a lawsuit alleging that she was terminated after she refused orders to ignore animal safety standards in order to save time and money. Casey is suing the AHA, HBO, and the production company, Stewart Productions, alleging that they ALL allowed horses to be abused — four died — and tried to cover it up. Her lawsuit is bolstered by graphic photographs, which I am not including as I would like you to continue reading. The lawsuit describes several other instances in which the AHA’s lack of concern for animal welfare led to severe injuries and death. As you know, a total of 27 animals died during the making of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. In spite of this, the AHA’s message still ran at the end: “American Humane monitored all of the significant animal action. No animals were harmed during such action.” (The fact that this may be nominally true, as the animals apparently died due to negligence while NOT being filmed, doesn’t make it better). The AHA is supported financially by the film and TV industry, and has evidently gone over, at least partially, to the Dark Side. The only truly cruelty-free movies are those using no animals at all.

After the deaths of Moja in 2002, Washoe in 2007 and Dar last year, the only two chimpanzees remaining at the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI) at Central Washington University in Ellensburg were Tatu and Loulis. Because chimpanzees naturally live in large groups, the decision was made to move them to the 200-acre FAUNA sanctuary in Quebec, which is already home to 11 other chimpanzees. Lightly sedated, they flew out of Seatac on a nonstop flight to Canada on the 28th. Tatu and Loulis, who use American Sign Language, will gradually be introduced to and integrated with the other chimpanzees there.

If you have never read Roger Fouts’ book, Next of Kin, about Washoe and her family, get a copy now. It’s kind of a life-changer.

Calendar

January2019

NARN's board of directors meets monthly to discuss our campaigns and administrative issues. Guests are welcome to attend if we have enough time on our agenda.

If you wish to have an agenda item added to the NARN Board Meeting, please email info@narn.org at least a day in advance. You can also send us a message on Facebook anytime or even the day of the meeting and we'll get back to you. All NARN Board Meetings are held in Seattle.

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 3pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by our desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join us in providing free, educational information to the public about the dangers of supporting backyard breeding practices and puppy mills, the importance of spaying and neutering pets, the time and money it takes to responsibly care for a living creature, and the positive effects of screening pet owners through application processes.

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2093159060741059/

Come join us for a delicious brunch at the fabulous Celest Cafe AND write some letters for animals.

NARN provides the stationery, pens, stamps, sample letters, and ideas for what to write -- just bring yourself. You can even bring your laptop if you'd prefer to type or email your letters!

Why letter writing? Letter writing is a simple way to make change for the animals! At our letter writing events, we write for many different reasons: opposition to the creation of new animal laboratories, support for sending animals to sanctuary, promotion of vegan events and issues through letters to the media, and raising the spirits of activists and comrades who have been jailed for their pro-animal and political actions!

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 6pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by their desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join them in providing free, educational information to the public

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/512061562622307/

The University of Washington's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) will be meeting to discuss various research protocols (study designs). This is your chance to voice your opinion about the research on animals that goes on at the UW. Please come and speak for the animals!
The meetings are held at the South Campus Center; Room #342 (in between San Juan Road & Columbia Road); behind the Magnuson Health Sciences Center (1925 N.E. Pacific St) )
http://www.washington.edu/maps/

Unfortunately, they frequently re-schedule or cancel their meetings in an attempt to avoid the public, so please call the Public Affairs Office at 206-543-9180 to make sure the meeting is still happening at the given time.
You can also check out their calendar here (copy & paste link into your browser)
http://oaw.washington.edu/iacuc-meeting-schedule/

This month we will be checking out Travelers Thali House. They have tons of vegan options. See their menu here:
http://www.travelersthalihouse.com/Menu102014.html
The Social Discussion Group is a casual event. Drinkers and non-drinkers are welcome, and you don't have to be vegetarian to participate. We hope you'll join us! Questions? Contact rachel[at]narn[dot]org

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 3pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by their desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join them in providing free, educational information to the public

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/406570843449273/

La Cocina School at El Centro de la Raza will be offering a tasty Vegan Tamales Cooking Class in partnership with the Food Empowerment Project! Now is your chance to learn how to make vegan tamales from a master tamalera! The tamales are prepared in the handmade and traditional fashion using cultural ingredients. Sweet sangrias, beer and wine will also be served and is included in the ticket price.

Class will begin promptly at 10:00 AM in the kitchen at El Centro de la Raza. Classes typically take 2.5 to 3 hours long. All cooking supplies and ingredients will be provided, but please bring your own apron.

The money for the La Cocina School at El Centro de la Raza Latin Cooking Classes go to fund El Centro de la Raza's Senior programs.

For updates on this event see
https://www.facebook.com/events/2404477662895760/